| BenefitsLink Welfare Plans Newsletter |   |
January 5, 2007
Sponsored by: Health Benefits Conference & Expo (HBCE)
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| 16th Annual National Health Benefits Conference & Expo (HBCE) |
| 16th Annual Nat'l Health Benefits Conference & Expo - Jan. 25-26, Tampa
Title: The biggest cost problem facing American employers. Leading Employers & Best Practices from: IBM – State of MN – AOL – IAP World Services – Schneider National, Inc. - Univ. of Pittsburgh – MO State Univ – Perkins’ Restaurants & Marie Callender – San Mateo Co. – HEB Retail – Martin Co. Schools - Manatee Co. - and many more. Actionable Advice: info@HBCE.com • 941-484-1430 • www.HBCE.com |
Sick Leave Tops State Labor Agendas
Excerpt: "Now that a majority of states have boosted wages above the federal minimum, lawmakers in at least seven states want to give workers another lift: paid sick days. Buoyed by overwhelming approval of a San Francisco ballot initiative guaranteeing workers at least nine sick days per year, lawmakers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Vermont, Maine, Montana, Michigan and Maryland are expected to propose similar measures this year, labor experts say." (Stateline.org)
Democrats Draft Bill that Would Require HHS To Negotiate Prices for Medicare Prescription Drugs
Excerpt: "House Democrats on Friday plan to introduce a bill that would require the HHS secretary to negotiate directly with pharma.ceutical companies on prices for medications under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, CQ HealthBeat reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Low HSA Use Could Hurt CDHP Movement
Excerpt: "A report from Vimo.com, an Internet comparison shopping Web site for health care, asserts the low level of participation in health savings accounts (HSAs) could stunt the growth of the consumer-driven health plan (CDHP) movement." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
Opinion: Consumer-Driven Health Plans Top 2006 Sea Changes
Excerpt: "Consumer-driven health plans take things a step beyond HMOs by making employees, employers, insurers and even the government partners in keeping health care affordable for all parties. CDHPs do place more of the burden on employees, who must realize that health care is an expense, NOT an entitlement." (Rob O'Byrne via Employee Benefit News)
Benefits Managers Need to Ask Questions About Health Savings Accounts Before Adoption
Excerpt: "Benefit managers will, understandably, have questions when it comes to HSAs. How can they assess whether or not an HSA is right for their organization? HR professionals should take into consideration the [points laid out in this article]." (Employee Benefit News)
Overview: HSA Provisions in the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 (PDF)
4 pages. Excerpt: "The inclusion of the HSA provisions in H.R. 6111 is particularly significant because H.R. 6111 was one of the final acts of the 109th Congress. Because Democrats will control the House and Senate in the next Congress, it is unlikely that any other legislation to expand HSAs will be enacted anytime soon." (Groom Law Group)
New Job Perk: Daycare for Mom and Dad -- Calgary Firms Offer Employees Facility for Parents
Excerpt: "Next week, five Calgary firms will open a new daycare facility designed to help employees balance work and family obligations. Offering free or subsidized child-care services to staffers is something major Canadian employers have done for years, of course. But what makes this daycare different is that it isn't for children, it's for ageing parents." (National Post)
NFL Retirement Plan Improperly Determined Onset Date of Player's Disability, According to Court
Excerpt: "from Spencer's Benefits Reports: The National Football League's (NFL) retirement plans for players improperly determined the onset date of a former player's disability. This was the ruling of the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Jani v. Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan (No. 05-2386)." (Wolters Kluwer Law & Business)
G.ay Partners Get Health Program in New York County
Excerpt: "G.ay and les.bian Ulster County employees can now use the county health insurance plan for their same-sex domestic partners. The Legislature voted 19-13 to extend the benefits during Wednesday's organizational session." (Poughkeepsie Journal)
How to Award Yourself a New Year Pay Rise -- With Perks
Excerpt: "ARE you getting the most out of your boss? You may not know it but you could be sitting on a goldmine of pre-tax company perks. Many employers offer their staff a wide range benefits from childcare vouchers to cheap bikes and mobile phones. Here are some of the key things to ask for and what they could be worth." (Mirror.co.uk)
Two Health Insurers Tailor Policies to Autoworker Buyouts
Excerpt: "Care Choices has joined Health Alliance Plan in launching a health insurance policy specifically for autoworkers who are taking buyouts and will lose employer-provided coverage. The move comes as insurers in Michigan jockey for the growing market for individual health insurance policies. Demand has increased as manufacturers downsize and smaller companies faced with steep health care costs cut coverage for employees." (The Detroit News)
Health IT Legislation Could Face Familiar Obstacles in 2007
Excerpt: "Health IT observers predict that despite support from the Bush administration and senators and representatives from both parties, passing health IT legislation in 2007 will face the same obstacles as it did in 2006, Health Data Management reports." (California HealthCare Foundation)
Managed Care State Laws and Regulations, Including Consumer & Provider Protections: Updated 1/07
Excerpt: "The details and the extent of these state laws vary considerably, but they remain in force as a mechanism for regulating HMOs and other forms of managed care organizations." (National Conference of State Legislatures)
Firm Achieves Cost Containment Through Self-Insurance and Consumerism
Excerpt: "Bacou-Dalloz had an extremely common problem and a relatively innovative solution. Facing burdensome health costs, the firm combined a partially self-insured plan design and elements of health care consumerism for relief." (Employee Benefit News)
Opinion: The Facts -- Medicare Part D and Prescription Drug Prices
Excerpt: "Competitive markets always do a better job of finding the price that works best for both buyers and sellers than government experts This fact sheet was jointly prepared by health policy experts from the American Enterprise Institute, the Galen Institute, The Heritage Foundation, and the Institute for Research on the Economics of Taxation." (Galen Institute)
Massachusetts Hospitals Push Health Insurance Enrollment
Excerpt: "Massachusetts hospitals and community health centers are joining a major campaign to enroll residents with low and moderate incomes in subsidized insurance plans that are a key part of the state's sweeping healthcare initiative." (The Boston Globe)
Comments on Health Insurance Articles -- It's Enough to Make You Sick
Excerpt: "The first step in problem solving is to define the problem. Let's see. Hundreds of thousands or even millions of people nationally are denied health insurance coverage because of their prior medical histories, even for trivial disorders. That seems like a problem. So what solution is California considering? They are attempting to establish specific guidelines for the insurers in order to protect them from penalties when they rescind coverage for individuals . . . ." (Los Angeles Times via Physicians for a National Health Program)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
Commentary: Goodbye 109th Congress, Hello 110th
Excerpt: "House Democrats . . . plan to hold five-day-a-week legislative sessions (Monday through Friday), rather than the more recent three-day sessions (Tuesday through Thursday). One of the first things they intend to pass is 'pay-go' rules that will require any legislative change that costs money to be accompanied by changes that reduce spending or raise taxes to pay for it." (Dallas Salisbury via Human Resource Executive Online; free registration required)
New York Clarifies Stock Option Allocation Rules
Excerpt: "The State of New York Department of Taxation and Finance has amended New York State Personal Income Tax Regulations to clarify rules for allocation of income from stock options, stock appreciation rights, and restricted stock for non-residents and part-year residents." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)
Newly Posted Events
Retirement as a Time to Reinvent, Rewire and Renew: Educating Employees about Total Retirement Planning
Nationwide on January 17, 2007
presented by International Foundation for Retirement Education (InFRE)
Newly Posted Press Releases
AARP Calls for 2007 'Best Employers for Workers Over 50' Applications
AARP
Oregon Employers and Leaders Commit to National Initiative for Improving Quality and Value in Health Care
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Award-Winning Guide on Caregiving Available Free
LifeCare, Inc.
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Pension Administration
for R.J.L. Pension Services, Inc.
in FL
Defined Benefit Client Account Manager
for New York Life Investment Management - Retirement Plans Services
in MA
Retirement Plan Implementation/Sales Support
for Benefit Consultants Group
in NJ
DC/401(k) Administrator
for PENFlex Services, Inc.
in IL
401(k) Plan Administrator
for Qualified Plans, LLC
in GA
Client Service Manager
for Princeton Retirement Group, a subsidiary of Merrill Lynch
in NC
Retirement Plans Administrator
for Security Benefit
in KS
Benefits Compliance Manager
for Aerojet - Sacramento
in CA
Administrator - 401(k)
for Continental Benefits Group, Inc.
in NJ
OmniPlus Business Analyst
for DC Specialists, Inc
in ANY STATE
MEP/PEO Client Relationship Manager - Los Angeles, CA
for Transamerica Retirement Services
in CA
Client Relations Manager- TPA
for Benefit Consultants Group
in NJ
Account Executive-Retirement Services
for Principal Financial Group
in MD
401(k) Plan Administrator/Retirement Plan Consultant
for TriStar Pension, Ltd.
in OK
Retirement Service Consultant
for Stanton Group
in MN
Director/VP Client Services
for Fidelity Investments
in NH
401(k)/Defined Contribution Administrators
for Graham Group Pension Services, Inc
in NY
Defined Contribution Conversions Project Leader - Small Plans
for New York Life Investment Management - Retirement Plans Services
in MA
Nonqualified Plans Consulting Administrator
for Vanguard
in PA
Compliance Administrator - Fund Accounting
for Vanguard
in PA
Actuarial/Defined Benefit Professional
for The Pension Service
in CT, MA, ME
Health and Welfare Project/Client Manager
for TRI-AD
in CA
Retirement Specialist
for Dreyfus Corporation
in ANY STATE
Vice President Product Development, Retirement Services
for MassMutual
in MA
Employee Benefits Administrator
for Aerojet - Sacramento
in CA
Benefit Administrator
for RSM McGladrey
in IL
Actuarial Assistant
for Retirement System Group Inc.
in NY
Pension Administrator
for Retirement System Group Inc.
in NY
Sr. Benefits Administrator
for Aerojet - Sacramento
in CA
Principal Analyst (Two-Year Contract Position)
for University of California
in CA
Handy Links:
- View Today's Active Message Threads
- Using the Web for Employee Benefits Research (hypertext article)
- Employee Benefits Library
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